The Asus Transformer Book T90 Chi tablet/laptop hybrid sits in what could have been a too small market niche, the place where the easy portability of the tablet meets the reliability and sturdiness of the laptop. It is easy for hybrid concepts to become the worst of both worlds f the right balance of compromise is not reached. for that matter there were and are hybrid concepts where no good compromise can be reached. This is not, for the most, part one of those cases.
The design is pleasing with the metal tablet and the plastic detachable keyboard forming a stylistic whole. However there are some functionality limitations mostly created y the very small size of the device, 8.9 inches or 22.6cm. For one there is no trackpad so all navigation has to be done via the touchscreen for which Windows 8, on which the device runs, is not fully optimized. This slight loss of function is also present in the fully detachable keyboard which is the exact same size and thus has unusually close spacing between the keys. Still this can be compensated for and at least there is good feedback for pressing the keys, the lack of which would have been much more problematic.
It’s mostly good news when it comes to the screen, too. Its resolution of 1280×800 isn’t outstanding, but it’s still good, making everything appear sharp enough for most purposes. Viewing angles, colour reproduction and black levels all appear decent as well.
The Asus Transformer Book T90 Chi specs are also of the good but uninspiring variety: an Intel Atom Z3775 processor, which is a quad-core model that runs between 1.46GHz and 2.39Ghz, 2GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of of storage on SSD with microSD slot allowing for some expansion. Two cameras of 2MP in the front and 5 MP with autofocus in the back and Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi a/b/g/n round of the technical specifications.
Having covered the good enough aspect of this hybrid it is time to look at its major advantage over a less specialized alternative like say an iPad mini with a compact Bluetooth keyboard. It is much more sturdy in transit and the adjustable screen makes for easier use in situations where you can’t find a proper flat surface to work on. Therefore this as of yet unreleased Asus product looks to be a good bargain at an announced price of 299$.